In a queer incident, an SHO of Chandigarh Police on Thursday sent a message, addressed to IG R P Upadhyay, to a WhatsApp group consisting of all SHOs, three DSPs, the SSP and the IG, accusing his superior DSP of demanding Rs 50,000 every month, and seeking permission to resign.

Interestingly, the DSP against whom the allegation was made also sent her reply to the entire group, denying the allegation. Further, the IG and the SSP, too, sent their remarks to the entire group.

The message of Inspector Yashpal Vinayak, SHO of the Industrial Area police station, read (with minimum changes), “Sir, this is to inform your goodself that I want to submit that SDPO East is harassing me. The reasons best known to her. I have got fixed one AC of Rs 27,000 in her office, bill not paid. Her husband met with an accident at Hyderabad, me got booked her return ticket of Rs around 24,500. She compelled me to re-organise her house for which I had to pay Rs 5,35,045. She stopped me to arrest accused Anindya wanted in rape case of a minor child of 15 years, she is asking me to pay Rs 50,000 per month to oblige her. Sir, if you allow, me want to resign from this corrupt police force.”

The SHO sent his message at 7 am. Immediately, DSP Anjitha Chepyala, who is SDPO East, used the same channel to reply that the allegations were false. Next, the IG asked the group to delete these messages and stated that this (WhatsApp) was not the proper channel to make a complaint. Then the SSP messaged, asking both the DSP and the SHO to give in writing whatever they had to say.

While the SHO was not available for comment, DSP Chepyala said, “The allegations are frivolous and baseless. This is the outcome of some reports I had sent on his working to senior officers. One was an inquiry initiated when F-Bar in Wave cinema was found open and serving liquor past 1 am on a weekend. The other was a case where his driver and gunmen had allegedly thrashed two brothers running an eatery in Sector 29.”

Commenting on the matter, IG R P Upadhyay said, “We will be initiating two inquires, one on the allegations levelled by the SHO and second about the channel of communication. There is a proper channel for an officer to approach about any problem he is facing and that channel must be followed.”

Senior Superintendent of Police Sukhchain Singh Gill said, “I have asked the two officers to give me in writing about the entire incident. ASP (City) will then be asked to look into the matter and accordingly we will take an action.”